Mail-order blank for mail-order houses and the like



June 1 1926.

M. J. MCDONALD MAIL ORDER BLANK FOR MAL ORDER HOUSES AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 28, 1926 UBJU U5 UH ma man d f hamm/1oz M Maja/Mid. vf'wl Patented June l, 1926.

sUNITED STATES raranr orifice,

MARTIN J. MCDONALD, WAKONDA, SOUTH DAKOTA.

Application led January 28, 1926.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in mail order blanks for Ymail order houses and the like wherein an 'order blankbearing a title, name of the company, address and other appropriate printing matter, such as instructions for the- It is a known fact in mail order housesv employing order blanks for various commodities and magazines, much expensive catalogue literature as well as commodities are lost in delivery through incorrect spelling of names and addresses, generally due to illegible writing or poor penmanship, but with an order blank of this character, such losses are prevented and the sending of duplicate catalogues or articles to the same person is eliminated.

` With the above and other objects in view that will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawing and claimed.

In the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, p

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of an order blank sheet constructed and printed in accordance with the present invention showing a plurality of horizontal rows of complete letters of the alphabet with a number receiving area associated with each letter, and

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of another form of the invention showing the same employed in connection with a coupon to be clipped from a magazine advertisement or the like.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawing, and particularly to Fig. 1 there is illustrated an order blank designed for use by mail order houses selling difierent lines of commodities such as manufactured articles, magazines and the like and includes a sheet 1 having lined areas 2 adjacent the upper corner edges to receive ap- Serial No, 84,394.

propriate printing matter, such as instructions for the use of the blanks and a series of horizontal lines 3 between the areas 2 for such printed 'matter as the title of the blank, the name and address of the company. tending across the blank 1 beneath the areas 2 and lines 3 are parallel widely separated lines 4t and 5 between which the full name and address of the person filling out the blank is indicated in a manner to be presently described, while said blank below the lower line 5 is suitably lined at 6 in columnar formations for the reception of the character of goods purchased and the prices thereof. i i

In order blanks of the ordinary character in which the name and address of a person sending in the same is written, considerable confusion is experienced in ascertaining the correct name and address, due in many instances to illegible writing which frequently results in a duplicate forwarding of expensive catalogues and the like as well as misdirecting various parcels. The present invention aiming to overcome this difficulty provides between lines 4 and 5 on the blank horizontal rows of letters of the complete alphabet as at 7, 8 and 9, the letters of one row being' printed in small type, such as 8, if desired. Number receiving areas are associated with each letter of the spaced'rows, the row 7 having number receiving areas 10 and 11 Vabove and below each letter thereof while number receiving areas 12 and 13 are disposed only above the rows 8 and 9.

The instructions contained in the area 2 indicate the manner of designating the name and address of a person filling out the blank, the first name appearing in the number receiving areas 10. Assuming the first name to be Johm the number 1 is placed in the area 10 above the letter J, the number 2 in the area above the letter 0, the number 3 above the letter H and the number 4 above the letter N. In the case of a middle initial, a period is placed after the letter as F in row 7 and designated by the numeral 1li. In a similar manner, the surname of the person appears in the number receiving areas 11, and assuming the surname to be Doe, the number l appears in the area below the letter 1), the number 2 below the letter O and the number 3 below the letter E By following the sequence of numbers in conjunction with the printed letters ofthe alphabet, it will be seen that the persons naine is John F. Doe. These numbers are designated by the reference numeral 15, the numbers corresponding to letters for the name of the city or town appear in the number receiving area 12 associated with the row of letters 8 and, as Will be seen by following the numbers in their proper sequence in the rowv of number receiving areas 12, the name of the town is Aberdeen. ln instances Where the same letters appears more than once in asingle Word theproper numbers corresponding with the letters of the Word appear n the same number receiving area with a dash between the two numbers and Where the same letter appears in succession the letter D designated by the numeral 1G precedes the number as indicated in the number receiving area 12 in the roW 8 and referring to the letter E. The name of the State, the letters of Which are represented by numbers appears in the roW 9, the name of the State being South Dakota, the numbers 1 to 5 respectively appearing in the areas alirned with the letters S-O-U-T-H. The numbers G, 7, and 8 are associated with the letters D-A-K. It is to be noted that the number 5 associated with the letter H is followed by a period designated by the numeral 17 which indicates that more than one Word comprises the naine of the State, thenumeral 3 associated with the letter i 'being followed by a period 18 to indicate that the second Word of the name of the State is abbreviated. It will, therefore, be seen that by the employment of numbers associated with the letters of the different rows ofthe alphabet,

the correct name and full address of a person may be easily ascertained and errors previously occasioned by illegible script are eliminated.

Another embodiment of the invention is shoWnin Fig. 2 wherein the method of disclosing the complete name and address is associated with a tear-oft1 coupon forming a part of a magazine page or the like, the reference numeral 19 designating the page carrying a corner coupon 2O to be severed from the dotted line 21 and having rows of number receiving areas 22 associated with spaced rows of letters 23 of the alphabet, While the lined area 24 receives printed instructions for the use of the sheet. rllhc full name and address of a person clipping the coupon 20 is filled in as described above with reference to the order blank 1, and absolute accuracy in the attainment thereof is possible.

Vhile there are herein shown and described the preferred embodiments of the prese-nt invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

lll/*hat is claimed is In a. sheet of the character described, spaced rows of letters forming complete alphabets, and number receiving areas asso ciated with cach letter to receive numbers, the sequential arrangement of Which in conjunction With the letters spells desired Words.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

MARTIN J. MGDONALD. 

